Attention and Concentration Flashcards
state what it is meant by the key term - attention
Attention, in psychology, is the concentration of awareness on some phenomenon to the exclusion of other stimuli
state the names of the 3 dimensions of attention
- concentration
- selective perception
- mental time sharing
state what it is meant by the key term - ‘concentration’
concentration is the ability to exert deliberate mental effort on what is most important in a given situation
state what it is meant by the key term - ‘selective perception’
selective perception is the ability to zoom in on important stimuli and ignore distracting factors
state what it is meant by the key term - ‘mental time sharing’
the ability to perform two or more concurrent activities
who, and when, came up with the ‘Principles of Concentration’ ?
Moran, 1966
state the 5 ‘Principles of Concentration’ as stated by Moran in 1966
- concentration requires effort
- athletes can only focus on one thought at a time
- athletes focus best when concentrating on actions that are specific, relevant, and under their control
- lose concentration when you focus on irrelevant factors
- disrupted by anxiety
‘concentration requires mental effort, it is under our control’. state 3 facts about this statement
- it involves focusing on relevant environmental cues
- requires effort to maintain concentration over time
- requires an awareness of the situation
what is the issue with existing research in the area of ‘concentration’
it is an under researched area, and it is only reliant on anecdotal evidence
research into concentration suggests there are 3 key differenced between successful and unsuccessful athletes. state what these 3 differences are
- less likely to become distracted
- more likely to be task than outcome orientated
- more able to anticipate situations earlier
state 3 facts about ‘concentration and optimal performance’
- being ‘absorbed in the present’ and having no thoughts about the past or the future
- being mentally relaxed and having a high degree of concentration and control
- being in a state of extraordinary awareness of both the body and the external environment
what are Nideffer’s 2 dimensions of attention styles ?
- direction of attention (internal vs external)
2. width of attention (broad vs narrow)
state 2 facts about internal attention
- attending to his/her own feelings, thoughts and psychological cues
- analysis and planning
state 2 facts about external attention
- attending to things going on in the environment
2. occurs at a more reflective level
explain the difference between broad and narrow attention
- broad: attending to several different cues
2. narrow: attending to 1 or 2 cues
explain, from Nideffer’s dimension graph, what it is meant when you are attending to ‘broad-external’
athlete is aware of everything that is going on around them
explain, from Nideffer’s dimension graph, what it is meant when you are attending to ‘broad-internal’
analytical, flexible and adjusting (eg - game plan, strategies)
explain, from Nideffer’s dimension graph, what it is meant when you are attending to ‘narrow-external’
focusing on 1 or 2 factors
explain, from Nideffer’s dimension graph, what it is meant when you are attending to ‘narrow-internal’
focusing on effort and feelings
state 3 facts about ‘over-analysing body mechanics’
- narrow-internal focus is essential while learning new skills
- once learned, focus should shift to external factors (such as a competition)
- inappropriate internal focus interferes with natural smooth movements
state the names of the two main methods of assessing concentration in sport
- psychometrics
2. psychophysiological
state the two advantages of using psychometric measures of concentration’
- makes inherent sense to coaches and players
2. are cheap and easy to use
explain the pro and con of the use of psychophysiological measures of concentration’
- advantage of being an objective indicator
2. but are more costly and are sometimes impractical
what does TAIS stand for ?
TAIS - Test of Attention and Interpersonal Skills
what does a TAIS show about effective attenders ?
a TAIS shows that effective attenders score high on the ability items and low on the overload items
what are the 6 domains of a TAIS related to ? (2 points)
- 3 related to Nideffer’s attention styles
2. 3 related to information overload
state, and explain, 2 disadvantages to the use of a TAIS
- can athletes reliably feedback on what actually happens verses what they would have us believe ?
- doesn’t distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information
state 2 types of psychophysiological concentration measurement tools
- electroencephalogram - EEG (brain activity)
2. HR
state what it is meant by the key term - electroencephalogram (EEG)
a test that detects electrical activity in your brain using electrodes attached to your scalp. Your brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even when you’re asleep
state 4 internal distractions to performance
- attending to past events
- over analysing of body mechanics
- lack of motivation
- emotional factors (eg - anxiety)
state what it is meant by the key term - ‘external distractions’
stimuli from the environment that diverts attention from cues which are relevant to performance
state 3 external distractions to performance
- visual distractions
- auditory distractions
- gamesmanship
state what it is meant by the key term - choking
choking is where performance progressively deteriorates and you are unable to regain control over performance
state the ‘choking process’
- condition leading to choking
- physiological and attentional changes
- performance consequences
state 3 physiological changes that could occur in response to choking
- increased muscle tension
- increased breathing frequency
- racing HR
state 3 attentional changes that could occur in response to choking
- internal focus
- narrow focus
- decreased flexibility
state 4 performance consequences of choking
- focus on irrelevant cues
- timing and coordination breakdown
- muscle tightness and fatigue
- tendency to rush, becoming tentative
what should measures to improve concentration always be ?
should always be athlete and environment specific
state 3 ways to improve ‘generic skills’
- learn to shift attention
- teach athletes to search for relevant cues
- learn to maintain focus
- rehearse game concentration
- learn to ‘park’ intruding thoughts
state 4 steps to ‘on site’ improve concentration
- develop competition plans
- practice eye contact
- stay focused on the present
- over-learn skills
how can concentration be improved by - developing competition plans
a tailored plan can help maintain concentration
how can concentration be improved by - practicing eye contact
“keep your eyes on the ball” - not necessarily watching the ball, but avoiding visual distractions
how can concentration be improved by - over-learning skills
I.e. - make the skill more automatic, freeing cognitive capacity
